Sprint
Complaint 17381 Details

In July of 2011, a distant family member went to a Sprint Kiosk to look at phones after I had offered to add them to my family line (but had not discussed the details or arrangements). They had no intention of buying a phone or adding themselves to my existing family plan at the time of this visit. When they arrived at the kiosk, they were told that they can have the phone mailed to their home and the line will be added to my exsiting account. It was their frist time getting a cell phone and they had no idea what the procedures were; so the manager at the Sprint Kiosk at the Arrowhead Mall in Arizona took full advantage of them. The manager asked them for my name and my cell phone number and proceeded to add the line (also upgrading my account to a 4G plan for the new line). The manager bypassed my security questions (because my family member did not have the answer for them) and my distant family member was not able to provide him with my social security number (so he bypassed that too).

I had no idea that this occured until the family member called telling me what they were able to do without my permission. They too were surprised that any stranger could walk up to a Sprint Kiosk and add a cell phone to any existing user's line. No signatures were required on the contract or anything. I was furious and told them that they need to get back to Kiosk to get their money back and that I will file a complaint with Sprint. They were unable to get their money back at the kiosk and got the run around (to the present day).

For some reason, when my family member was trying to cancel the new line, the kiosk all of a sudden needed all my security questions answered and my social security number (none of the information are known to this family member of mine). Needless to say, they have not yet received their money back or received the phone. The line added to my account was canceled after I called to complain to Sprint. I was later that told Sprint will be looking into their security. But are they? If this coulld happen to me, how many others have Sprint scammed? This should've never happend in the first place. Security questions should not be bypassed and signatures should be required for cell phone contracts. Sprint is making it too easy for strangers to scam strangers with their current practice. I'm just glad that a stranger was not the one who did this to me and it was an innocent, unfamiliar with cell phones and plans family member.